The Real Paul Ryan

The congressional budget written by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, the Republican Party's presumptive vice presidential candidate, would cut $4.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years and have a devastating impact on Wisconsin's budget and programs—including the state's popular Medicaid programs, which provide insurance for one-fifth of the state's residents and include BadgerCare, SeniorCare and Family Care.

Ryan's budget is so radical that conservatives have joined moderates and Democrats in blasting it.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned its approach, writing in an open letter, "A just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons; it requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly."

On the campaign trail last year, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich slipped up and told the truth when he called Ryan's budget "right-wing social engineering."

According to a recent study by the Institute for Wisconsin's Future (IWF), if Ryan's "Roadmap for America's Future" were to go into effect next year, Wisconsin would lose $3.3 billion during 2013 and 2014, primarily through the slashing of federal funding for Medicaid, safety net assistance, transportation, education, the environment and neighborhood services.

That $3.3 billion funding loss doesn't include cuts to Medicare for seniors, which would go into effect in 10 years. Ryan plans to turn Medicare into a voucher program and raise the age of eligibility from 65 to 67.

And while Ryan and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney argue that their economic plan would promote job growth by shrinking government, Jack Norman, who conducted the study for IWF, found that Ryan's budget would jeopardize about 26,000 full-time jobs in Wisconsin.

A different study conducted by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that if Ryan's budget were in effect in 2014, Wisconsin would lose $413 million of its federal "discretionary" funding for education, clean water, law enforcement and other services. That's a 22% cut in federal funding for state and local programs—an amount that the state would have to make up in higher taxes and fees or vastly shrunken services.

The Republican National Committee in Wisconsin did not respond to the Shepherd's request to comment on the impact of Ryan's budget on the state.

Huge Cuts to BadgerCare, Food Assistance and Student Aid

According to the IWF study, in Wisconsin Ryan's budget would cut:

$1.6 billion from Medicaid programs, since Ryan would repeal the program's expansion in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act and slash $120 million in 2013.

$521 million from programs for low-income Wisconsinites, such as food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), supplemental income and child nutrition programs. About 71,000 Wisconsin households would lose food benefits in 2013 and another 34,000 households would lose them in 2014.

$436 million from environmental programs involving pollution control, land management and conservation in 2013 and 2014.

$303 million from education programs, including Pell grants and special education. IWF estimates that the number of Pell grants awarded in Wisconsin would be reduced by about 16,000 in 2013 and 44,000 in 2014.

$222 million from transportation projects, highway infrastructure and transit in 2013 and 2014.

$73 million from community development and neighborhood stabilization efforts in 2013 and 2014.

$68 million from agriculture programs in 2013 and 2014.

In Milwaukee County, Ryan's budget translates to a loss of $475 million in Medicaid cuts over 2013 and 2014, as well as $75 million in reduced aid for education, community programs and housing and $213 million in food, family and income supports.

Rock County, where Paul Ryan grew up, would see a loss of more than $77 million during 2013 and 2014.

Ryan's Medicaid Cuts Would Hit Seniors Immediately

Why does Ryan's "Roadmap" make such severe cuts in programs for the poor, students and the environment?

Because he wants to continue the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and add more tax breaks for the 1%. The tax cuts for the wealthy total an estimated $4.5 trillion over a decade.

Low- and middle-income earners would pay more in federal taxes, however, under Ryan's plan.

And while Ryan and Romney are trying to claim that seniors wouldn't be affected by their plans to issue vouchers for Medicare for another decade, Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said that Ryan's cuts to Medicaid, which covers long-term care for seniors and the disabled, would kick in immediately and have a direct impact on today's older population.

Ryan plans to turn Medicaid into a block grant for states, which would not keep up with the costs of providing services. In fact, Ryan's budget would cut Medicaid support by one-third by 2022 and one-half after that.

"It's absurd to think that you wouldn't have to throw tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands—of people off of long-term care," if Ryan's plan were implemented in Wisconsin, Kraig said.

Comments (12)

No mention here that Kraig is a far-left extremist...

No mention here that Kraig is a far-left extremist with more in common with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro than the people of WI.
Paul Ryan along with Mitt Romney will restore American exceptionalism.....count on it.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

If you must&nbsp;use the&nbsp;"straw-man" tactic o...

If you must&nbsp;use the&nbsp;"straw-man" tactic on&nbsp;writers with whom you disagree, then try to do so with at least a&nbsp;tad more subtlety so that you don't embarrass yourself as badly.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

There are 2 kinds of "booming economy". One is occ...

There are 2 kinds of "booming economy". One is occupying the time and attention of the poor, the working class, the middle class, all that excess money at the bottom creates a flurry of legal "work" and illegal "hustle" activity to get a piece of it, and all non-poor classes can make oodles of money, even in the old-fashioned, wasteful way that employs the hot bimbo and your dead-beat nephew, keeps them off of the welfare rolls, saves them from embarrassing your good, Conservative Republican name.

By keeping the bottom flush with cash, they will stay out of your suburb and exurb neighborhoods, you won't need to pay ADT to protect your physical wealth, won't need to pay LifeLock to protect your financial identity. Besides, that creates a LOT of uneducated suckers that you can screw over with high prices on reselling used cars and rent-to-own furniture, Circuit City would still be in business, and Best Buy would be in the black, the inner city would still have places for the non-whites to shop so their lucky ones would not need to go out to white suburb stores to shop. The inner city would still have clinics with asian and middle-eastern doctors so the darkies would not be in your waiting rooms. Yes, it is racist talk, but it is also what MANY of you really want... separation, should not matter if equal or not equal. But your attitude of putting your foot on the necks of these people, that's why we have all this bad blood here.

The 2nd kind of "booming economy" is where all the income comes in the form of capital gains and dividends payable to ONLY those who are already invested in Wall Street. Nobody new can get a start, and that, my friend, is the ultimate goal of the wealthy class, the security of knowing that lesser people can never rise up to compete against them. The wealthy could stay as anonymous as the "London Whale".

Some say "a rising tide floats all boats", instead, we have many boats grounded, and the only ones still active are those who have "Wall Street" helicopters that get them around while their yachts (local businesses) are purposefully grounded. Rowboats, canoes, and kayaks do not carry helicopters, nor can the Middle Class's Great Lakes boats parked in the Milwaukee harbors... and you will keep the tide from coming in until after the occupants of those lesser boats are nothing but dead and dried skeletons. Later, you will sweep in and take all those iPads and Big-screen TVs for yourselves, even take the Great Lakes yachts from the Middle class. Just a matter of the rich waiting it out until the people had enough and vote in a government that lives by "one share one vote" instead of "one man one vote".

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

You seem to have a good grasp on the future and a...

You seem to have a good grasp on the future and any disbeliever needs to search their conscience for reality before they make a vote this fall. As a free! People on the verge of losing our freedom I am very glad to be 70 years. The street fighting will be a part of our children&rsquo;s, grandchildren, great grandchildren and they will be shot dead in the streets the same as in Bay View when the unions was trying to bring dignity to the individual working man/women. I think the words were (from the Governor) Pick your man and kill him to the Troops.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

@jusme
You really need to put down the crack pipe...

@jusme
You really need to put down the crack pipe....

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

Food Stamps need to be cut immediately. Obesity i...

Food Stamps need to be cut immediately. Obesity is epidemic on the poor because the go to grocery store and its all you eat buffet of cakes and pies. Then the left overs are sold to pay for the beauty parlor. After stuffing themselves with food many poor people are too full and fat to be able to work. So they just sit on the couch and keep eating. All those things Ryan wants to cut are because the poor are scamming the system and encouraged not to work. If we pulled the rug out from under them and took away free food and health care, they would opt into the workforce in order to eat.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

You are either a very poorly-skilled troll or livi...

You are either a very poorly-skilled troll or living in a deep denial of reality. If it's the former, I've no bother, but if it's the latter, you really should seek help. Or at least learn some critical thinking skills and crack open a book or two - there are places called libraries and universities where you can evaluate facts, opinions, and theories, and you can start to piece together some semblance of an informed opinion.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

Anoyance #1: Man you are one of&nbsp; the oh toooo...

Anoyance #1: Man you are one of&nbsp; the oh toooo many weak minded people that listen to Clown wtmj tv/radio, Clown sykes,and Clown wagner.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

Anon: You've been a parasitic infection on this si...

Anon: You've been a parasitic infection on this site so long, you delude yourself that you're anything but a bagger troll. Will you show some insight and admit it? Not likely. Still you are the troll.&nbsp;You shouldn't bother giving any advice, because apparently all your experience , if any, has taught you very little - based on your blather and skreed.You shill CONman memes 24/7/365, act self-intitled, lie, prove nothing and insult. So, since you dish it out, you should also be willing to take it. Your'e a fine example of a low-effort "thinker."

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

Anon:And another thing, your oversimplified and s...

Anon:And another thing, your oversimplified and stereotyped skreed shows more about yourself, than the people you're attempting to denegrate.&nbsp;Would you call Gov. Crispy Creme Christie, a low life fat boy to his face?In any event, no proof = no fact. You bellow a lot, but offer no fact whatsoever.

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

The more I think about it, the more I tend to thin...

The more I think about it, the more I tend to think that anonymous is the sort of troll known as a "piss-taker".

Anonymousmore than 5 years ago

Which is embarrassing to realize, as I responded t...

Which is embarrassing to realize, as I responded to the little freak a while back as if they were the real thing.&nbsp; :-/

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